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Saturday, 27 February 2016

Saudi Breach of Promise Opens Door for Unconditional Iranian Support for Lebanon

Shortly after the Saudi Arabia halted what it called “grant” for the Lebanese army and security forces, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Hussein Jaberi Ansari, said that the Islamic Republic of Iran “is ready to provide Lebanon with the military support in case the latter asks for it.”

The Iranian position is not new, but rather a renewal of the previous intentions expressed by Tehran’s officials to offer every kind of support to the Lebanese Republic and to its army and security institutions, including military aid and power plants logistics. All what is required from Lebanon is to enlist its needs to be rapidly fulfilled by Iranian competent services.

In this regard, Lebanon’s Defense Minister and Deputy PM, Samir Moqbil, visited Tehran in October 2014 to learn about the military and combat production of Iran, and held several meetings with Iranian officials to discuss how could Lebanon take advantage of it.

However, the Iranian “grant” stopped at the gates of the Lebanese cabinet due to the opposition of Future Movement and 14 March bloc.

Iran Fulfills Promises to Assist and Support Lebanon and Palestine

Actually, unlike Saudi Arabia, Iran has long fulfilled its promises towards Lebanon and already provided support for reconstruction works before and after the July 2006 Zionist aggression, in addition to the support it offered for Resistance in Lebanon and Palestine, which represented the corner stone in the victories against the Zionist enemy, and set a lot of balance and deterrence equations to protect Lebanon on the way to liberate Palestine.

Today, following the Saudi halt of what it called “aid” or “grant” to Lebanon, and amid the fact that the Lebanese army cannot get now the required ammunition necessary to fight terrorism and protect the country against the enemy and to protect its borders, isn’t necessary that Lebanon asks for Iran’s help in this regard? Aren’t the competent Lebanese authorities responsible for identifying all the needs and weapons needed to be obtained from a source that is more serious than Saudi Arabia which reneged on promises it used to offer?

Is there any reason preventing Lebanon from taking the initiative to submit demands to Iran, or to accept the absolute, permanent and unconditional Iranian support?

In other word, what does Lebanon want better than the generous Iranian offer which lies in favor of the Lebanese interests first and foremost? knowing that it has long received donations from neighboring and far countries without any obstacles, and that it lives in a state of real war due to the takfiri terrorist threats on the eastern border and the Israeli threat haunting its territories.

Remarkably, the previous and current Iranian offers are completely unconditional, even before halting the Saudi “grant” which turned out to be conditional, proved by the Saudi intervention in domestic and general policies of the Lebanese state.

Fake Saudi Promise versus Unconditional Iranian Support

“From the outset, the so-called Saudi grant was a propaganda gift that was only announced during particular political circumstances to achieve certain targets. When Riyadh failed to achieve its goals, the grant was frozen immediately since a long time, and not recently like the Saudis and their supporters are trying to circulate,” Lebanese writer and analyst Mikhael Awad told Al-Manar Website.

“Reneging on promises is an unfamiliar act on the humanitarian, religious and moral levels,” he added.

Awad said that “there is no way to compare between the fake Saudi promise to support Lebanon and the serious Iranian announcement about the unconditional and consistent support for Lebanon in all fields,” believing that it is “gross injustice to compare between both sides, because Saudi Arabia has promised and reneged amid attempts to blackmail Lebanon politically, while Iran fulfilled its promises and gave a lot for free.

“Both cases are completely different,” Awad stressed.

He pointed out that “our experience with Iran proved that it has provided all the needs that we want and continues to do so,” adding that “Iran has never breached a promise it announced as did Saudi Arabia.”

“Iran is a key partner in all the victories that have been achieved against the Zionist and takfiri enemies, and no one can repudiate what it has done at all,” Awad said.

Some Politicians Are against the Interest of Lebanon

Regarding the needs of the Lebanese state, Awad said that “Iran has always emphasized that it is ready to meet all of Lebanon’s needs in all fields, especially the needs of the army and the security forces without conditions”, pointing out that “this moral obligation expresses the desire of the Islamic Revolution of Iran to engage others with all of its holdings to relieve their suffering and tragedy.”

As for why Lebanon hasn’t requested help from Iran so far, the Lebanese analyst said that “a large part of the Lebanese officials does not want the Lebanese army to get support so as not to fight terrorism, based on Saudi, American and Israeli decision.”

Awad stated that Saudi Arabia, the United States and the Zionist entity do not want Iran to have a role in helping, supporting or backing the Lebanese army, because this will protect Lebanon from terrorism.

Awad highlighted that some of those politicians realize that there will be no commissions, deals or exploiting of political influence through the Iranian aid, expressing beliefs that “existing political balances prevent forming a Lebanese public opinion that can force the government to accept the Iranian aid which lies in favor of all the Lebanese.”

“Despite lifting the western embargo on Iran, some officials in Lebanon will refuse to allow Iran to support Lebanon and will work to pretend any reason to refuse it. Those people do not prefer the Lebanese interests and do not want Lebanon to get the aid that gives it strength and sovereignty, fortifies it from dependency to Saudi Arabia and the US, and enables it to stand against the takfiri terrorism and the Zionist enemy,” Awad concluded.Main report by Zulfikar DaherTranslated and edited by E. al-Rihani